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Monday, December 20, 2010

A few years ago, Your 33 Black Angels (Y33BA) caught fire when David Fricke of Rolling Stone called them a "treasure" after picking up planted copies in a local record store. That was enough for a few diehard fans to bang on bloggers' doors to help spread the buzz.

And then what happened? Y33BA quickly self-produced a second and third picked up by a handful of reviewers who could mostly muster Your 33 Black Angels "sound like..." and Your 33 Black Angels "sound like..." and Your 33 Black Angels are "a mix of..."

It's all anyone can stand. Bands written up in such a fashion accept the compliment, but only a few realize that all anybody remembers is who they sound like but never who they are. The result is what you might expect. They remain relatively obscure outside of New York and unsigned.

Songs From The Near Bleak Future delivers a few choice picks.

Their newest album, Songs From The Near Bleak Future, has started out as a release as quiet as Lonely Street. It's the fourth release from the Brooklyn-based band who won't say die. Some people wonder how long they can keep aiming high, while the rest of us can only hope they keep doing it.

There wasn't a video suitable from the newest album worth sharing. So here is something from their third album.

For anyone liking Lovers Limbo except the rough chorus, it will be easy to find a few tracks off Songs From The Near Bleak Future. Modern Girl is their strongest effort of all nine tracks. Other standouts include the somber and slow The Trouble King, steady Persistence of Vision, and upbeat lo-fi driver I Had A Modern Night Last Night. Some people like Dead Like Me too.

Skip A Song About A Car, which was a mistake; Bad Dream because it has the right vocals and the wrong arrangement; and I'm A Fool For Funtown because ... well, because its sounds like filler before a headliner takes the stage. All three provide a glimpse into why Y33BA just hasn't struck another lucky break. They need a producer to kick them up a notch and a stronger onstage presence.

Y33BA's The Near Bleak Future Rips A 3.2 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

Your 33 Black Angels is the kind of band you want to succeed in the studio and on the stage. Sometimes there is a fine line between wanting a band to find greatness and whether or not they can. Here, Songs From The Near Bleak Future paints up potential while reminding us why they hold themselves back.

They need a clear band roster, photos, and some aggressive live performances to keep people engaged, especially given their name is so painfully close to The Black Angels. Still, four of their songs, especially Modern Girl, truly deliver. Get those.

A few years ago, Your 33 Black Angels (Y33BA) caught fire when David Fricke of Rolling Stone called them a "treasure" after picking up planted copies in a local record store. That was enough for a few diehard fans to bang on bloggers' doors to help spread the buzz.

And then what happened? Y33BA quickly self-produced a second and third picked up by a handful of reviewers who could mostly muster Your 33 Black Angels "sound like..." and Your 33 Black Angels "sound like..." and Your 33 Black Angels are "a mix of..."

It's all anyone can stand. Bands written up in such a fashion accept the compliment, but only a few realize that all anybody remembers is who they sound like but never who they are. The result is what you might expect. They remain relatively obscure outside of New York and unsigned.

Songs From The Near Bleak Future delivers a few choice picks.

Their newest album, Songs From The Near Bleak Future, has started out as a release as quiet as Lonely Street. It's the fourth release from the Brooklyn-based band who won't say die. Some people wonder how long they can keep aiming high, while the rest of us can only hope they keep doing it.

There wasn't a video suitable from the newest album worth sharing. So here is something from their third album.

For anyone liking Lovers Limbo except the rough chorus, it will be easy to find a few tracks off Songs From The Near Bleak Future. Modern Girl is their strongest effort of all nine tracks. Other standouts include the somber and slow The Trouble King, steady Persistence of Vision, and upbeat lo-fi driver I Had A Modern Night Last Night. Some people like Dead Like Me too.

Skip A Song About A Car, which was a mistake; Bad Dream because it has the right vocals and the wrong arrangement; and I'm A Fool For Funtown because ... well, because its sounds like filler before a headliner takes the stage. All three provide a glimpse into why Y33BA just hasn't struck another lucky break. They need a producer to kick them up a notch and a stronger onstage presence.

Y33BA's The Near Bleak Future Rips A 3.2 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

Your 33 Black Angels is the kind of band you want to succeed in the studio and on the stage. Sometimes there is a fine line between wanting a band to find greatness and whether or not they can. Here, Songs From The Near Bleak Future paints up potential while reminding us why they hold themselves back.

They need a clear band roster, photos, and some aggressive live performances to keep people engaged, especially given their name is so painfully close to The Black Angels. Still, four of their songs, especially Modern Girl, truly deliver. Get those.